Franchised concrete hauliers working for Tarmac claim they have been left "snookered" after the building materials supplier enforced changes to rates and fuel costs without consultation. In a letter leaked to RoadTransport.com and addressed to concrete hauliers who work for Tarmac Quarry Materials (TQM), Tarmac says the following changes will be implemented in March:
- Plant transfer payments (paid when hauliers transfer from their base to work at a different unit) are to be reduced, in line with Tarmac's other divisions;
- Fuel recharge prices to be set monthly using actual cost figures from the previous month, compared with an existing fixed price of 94p/litre;
Under the changes, plant transfer payments for a three-axle vehicle will be £2.07 per radial mile, compared with the current rate of £2.61/mile, while the rate for a four-axle, 32-tonner will fall to £2.46/mile from £2.91/mile.
The letter from Tarmac states: "These steps all form part of a plan to help ensure that Tarmac remains competitive in these extremely tough market conditions, and that all our businesses remain sustainable as we move forward into what we hope will be a more stable situation in the future."
Contract hauliers at 37 Tarmac depots had signed a letter demanding Tarmac slow down its cost restructuring and had threatened what ammounted to a work-to-rule.
However, at a 6 March meeting with management, the majority of depots backed down from the threats in the letter, and agreed to the company's changes.
"Some drivers were too scared to take part in our threats, which included not turning up early or late for the derisory sum of £10," says one anonynmous driver.
"We have been snookered, because while we want to get out, we can't afford to, and too many drivers did not unite for fear of losing their job."
He continues: "We were already in a bad position, but these changes, which were forced on us without consultation, really were the straw that broke the camel's back."
Another anonymous driver adds: "I would say three out of five drivers are in debt because they can't afford to keep up payments for Tarmac trucks, and there is not enough work at the moment, so none of us are in a position to lose this money."
A Tarmac spokeswoman says: "Times are tough for the construction industry as a whole, and we have to make changes in order to get us through these challenges.
"However, as we emerge from the recession, our sector will pick up and we definitely need our hauliers to be on-side and working with us."